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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place and GBBD

Well, this isn't really a rock, but it is a hard place. This poor little Columbine grew from a deposited seed a few years ago. I have tried to pull many times. Look at it....it looks like it is looking at me saying---help me

When it was small I thought I could easily slide it out, thinking the root structure was not too large. Well, it couldn't be pulled and I haven't had the heart to kill it. So every year, I have a very pretty Aquilegia growing in the crack of the sidewalk and the house.

Miss Bateman, my bargain Clematis is starting to bloom. I have her behind the mailbox and she seems to be very happy.
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More blooms opening every day

For those who didn't know what we in the South have been talking in reference to the pollen....here are a few examples. This is in front of my garage door....after it rained.

The yellow is the pine pollen from the Loblolly Pine primarily. The fuzzy 'stuff' is the catkins from the oaks. It is mostly the oak pollen that people have trouble with, though the pine pollen is more visible.

After a rain is puddles and settles in many places. With hope another rain will finish off the high volume of pollen that is lingering.

And so for this April Garden Bloggers Bloom Day I welcome the first of the Tradescantia that is already blooming in my garden. Please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for more GBBD postings.

We get similar amounts of pollen from the maple trees on the property. And I believe some years are worse than others. I can't get over that dear little Columbine, stubbornly hanging on to its chosen place. Talk about blooming where you're planted! She's a beauty, though.

We have lots of pine pollen from Ponderosa pines, and people blame it for allergies. But my allergy book says pine pollen is smooth and has a waxy coating that prevents it from causing much allergy symptoms. Thank goodness!And what a trooper your columbine is. Very pretty, too.

Poor little columbine. We had one grow in a crack in a cinder block. The roots completely demolished the block into bits, the columbine rules the world! lol The row of tall pines are sprinkling us with yellow dust too. I finally had to wash the deck and furniture outside, I couldn't stand to look at it anymore, knowing it will be back tomorrow. No rain for us in quite a while and none in the forecast. Boo.Frances

Cute little columbine. I think plants that can grow this way are amazing little things. I sure recognize those oak flowers. Yuck! They are so dirty and messy and get dragged in the house. Heavy pollen here too but it fortunately doesn't bother me.

All I get in my cracks are weeds! LOL, I say let her be and live life to the fullest each year. I could not pull her either...

The pollen was so bad here that it is still floating on the lake! It is nasty looking on the water. My neighbors horses had it in the edges of their eyes each day until cleaned out. It was really bad here this year…

After the last rain we had, there was what looked like a puddle of butter in street from all the pollen. We have some big Deodaras across the street that contribute their fair share as well. I pulled some Columbine out of the compost pile at work years ago and brought it home. It comes up where it will, not where I want it.

So glad to see the brunt of the pollen gone. It was a sneeze fest here for awhile. ;) I love your little Columbine growing in that crack. So pretty! And the mailbox looks great draped with the Clematis, it should be glorious when it is full bloom!

I love that little Columbine, I have one in a similar place. For such delicate looking flowers they sure are tough! Your Miss Bateman is so big, I have a skinny little one that has buds for the first time. I hope mine will look like yours someday.I can't believe all that pollen, hope it's washed away soon.

I'm living on zyrtec & son is on claritin & hubby just took him for his allergy shot! I think I dislike the handfuls of 'fuzzy stuff' (as you call it!) more than the yellow. That 'sheds' so much pollen as it lies there and is also an eyesore...my entire deck is covered along with my gardens, and of course the new veggies I've planted in pots. The little sprouts are coming up but I have to keep removing the clumps of 'stuff' in order to see them. I don't like to pick it up because it really gets into my sinuses...but soon it'll be gone. Just something we all put up with around here! I like how your columbine refuses to give up and shows you that even a bare, ugly crack on the side of the house can be pretty! Love your clematis bloom too...Mine have not gotten buds as yet. We are just a 'touch' further behine you. There are buds on my columbine but no blooms just yet. But it's spring...so there's nothing better, in my mind. Despite some undesired 'stuff' that happens, spring is my favorite time of year.

omg, that poor columbine. I want to rescue it!! It's beautiful tho despite the less than ideal setting. So is your mailbox. I'm trying to decide what to plant around mine ~ clematis was one option (as well as morning glories). Love yours. Will you plant another around your new mailbox?That is a LOT of pollen Janet! I hope it's almost done now??

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